For word meanings and explanatory discussion in English click on the tabs marked “Roman” or “Notes”.
Recitation
زیر و زبر آہستہ آہستہ ۔ سراجؔ اورنگ آبادی
۱
ہوا ہے مہرباں وہ مُو کمر آہستہ آہستہ
کیا مجھ آہ نے شاید اثر آہستہ آہستہ
۲
کیا ہے مُسکُرا کر بات مثلِ پھول گُلرُو نے
نہالِ عشق نے لایا ثمر آہستہ آہستہ
۳
پِلا کر جام اپنی چشم کی گردِش سے پے در پے
کیا ساقی نے مجھ کو بے خبر آہستہ آہستہ
۴
طُفیلِ سوزشِ دل منزلِ جاناں کو پہنچا ہوں
ہوئی ہے آہ میری راہبر آہستہ آہستہ
۵
گلی میں اُس پری رُو کی کیا ہے عزم اُڑنے کا
نکالا مرغِِ دل نے بال و پر آہستہ آہستہ
۶
مرے حالِ پریشاں کی حقیقت کو سُنا جا کر
صبا کوچے میں گُلرُو کے گُزر آہستہ آہستہ
۷
سراجؔ اُس شوخ نے درپیش لایا مدّ ابرو کو
مرا دل کیوں نہ ہو زیر و زبر آہستہ آہستہ
ज़ेर ओ ज़बर आहिस्ता आहिस्ता – सिराज औरंग आबादी
१
हुआ है मेहरबां वो मू-कमर आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
किया मुझ आह ने शा’एद असर आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
२
किया है मुस्कुरा कर बात मिस्ल-ए फूल गुल-रू ने
नेहाल-ए इश्क़ ने लाया समर आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
३
पिला कर जाम अपनी चश्म की गर्दिश से पै दर पै
किया साक़ी ने मुझ को बेख़बर आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
४
तुफ़ैल-ए सोज़िश-ए दिल मंज़िल जानां को पहुंचा हूं
हुई है आह मेरी राहबर आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
५
गली में उस परी-रू की किया है अज़्म उढने का
निकाला मुर्ग़-ए दिल ने बाल ओ पर आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
६
मेरे हाल-ए परेशां की हक़ीक़त को सुना जा कर
सबा कूचे में गुल-रू के गुज़र आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
७
सिराज उस शूख़ ने दरपेश लाया मद्द-ए अब्रू को
मेरा दिल क्यूं न हो ज़ेर ओ ज़बर आहिस्ता आहिस्ता
Click here for background and on any passage for word meanings and explanatory discussion. syed sirajuddin siraj auraNgabadi (1715-1763), showed passion and impatience early in life, left home and became a mendicant. He composed verse both in faarsi and in urdu. He was tracked down and brought home and kept under guard until after he mentally stabilized. He lost much of his work but was finally able to complete his diivaan. There is a strong mystical/sufiyaana stream to his verse. He did write some romantic Ghazal as well as long narrative verse. This is linked to other Ghazal of the same refrain on the Refrain Index page.
1
hua hai mehrbaaN1 voh moo-kamar2 aahista aahista
kiya mujh aah3 ne shaa’ed4 asar5 aahista aahista 1.kind 2.thin as hair waist 3.sigh 4.perhaps 5.effect
One of the standards of beauty in urdu poetic tradition is a thin waistline – thin to the point of being like a hair. Thus moo-kamar is a description of the beloved. Gradually she has become more kind towards the poet/lover. He speculates that his sorrowful sighing is perhaps beginning to have an effect.
2
kiya hai muskura1 kar baat misl2-e phool gul-ruu3 ne
nehaal4-e ishq ne laaya samar5 aahista aahista 1.smile 2.like, similar to 3.rose-faced 4.sapling, shoot 5.fruit
The beloved, whose face is beautiful like the rose, has talked to him with a smile like a flower blooming. The young branch/shoot of love has borne fruit.
3
pila kar jaam1 apni chashm2 ki gardish3 se pae-dar-pae4
kiya saaqi5 ne mujh ko beKhabar6 aahista aahista 1.wine-cup, wine 2.eyes 3.going around, glancing 4.step by step, gradually 5.wine-server – used here to mean the beloved 6.intoxicated, senseless
The beloved has intoxicating eyes. She looks at him again and again. Each time it is like she is serving up a cup of wine. Thus, with every glance, little by little the poet/lover loses his senses … gets intoxicated, absorbed in her beauty unaware of aything else.
4
tufail1-e sozish2-e dil manzil3-e jaanaaN4 ko pahuNchaa huN
hui hai aah5 meri raahbar6 aahista aahista 1.by means of 2.fire, passion 3.destination 4.beloved 5.sigh 6.guide
The poet/lover has a fire of passion in his heart. It expresses itself as a fiery sigh. Seeing this, the beloved seems to have relented. Hence, the poet/lover considers his sigh and fire/passion in his heart to be the guide that has led/guided him to his destination i.e., the beloved.
5
gali meN uss pari-ruu1 ki kiya hai azm2 uRne ka
nikaala murGh3-e dil ne baal-o-par4 aahista aahista 1.fairy/angel faced 2.determination, resolve 3.bird 4.feathers and wings
The beloved is described as angel-faced. The heart of the lover is like a bird. It has resolved to fly in the lane of the beloved and has feathers and wings (gathered up enough courage) gradually.
6
mere haal1-e pareshaaN2 ki haqiiqat3 ko suna jaa kar
saba4 kooche5 meN gul-ruu6 ke guzar7 aahista aahista 1.condition 2.distressed, sorrowful 3.truth 4.breeze 5.street 6.rose-faced 7.pass through
The beloved is ‘gul-ruu’ has a beautiful face like the rose. O morning breeze, blow gently through the street of the beloved and tell her about my distressed condition.
7
siraaj1 us shooKh2 ne darpesh3 laaya madd-e-abruu4 ko
mera dil kyuN na ho zer-o-zabar5 aahista aahista 1.pen-name of the poet 2.playful, beloved 3.to present before, to show 4.arched eyebrow, annoyance 5.an expression meaning – topsy turvy, upside down, ruined
O siraaj, the beloved has presented before me a frown of annoyance. Why then, should my heart not be turned upside down.
syed sirajuddin siraj auraNgabadi (1715-1763), showed passion and impatience early in life, left home and became a mendicant. He composed verse both in faarsi and in urdu. He was tracked down and brought home and kept under guard until after he mentally stabilized. He lost much of his work but was finally able to complete his diivaan. There is a strong mystical/sufiyaana stream to his verse. He did write some romantic Ghazal as well as long narrative verse. This is linked to other Ghazal of the same refrain on the Refrain Index page.
1
hua hai mehrbaaN1 voh moo-kamar2 aahista aahista
kiya mujh aah3 ne shaa’ed4 asar5 aahista aahista
1.kind 2.thin as hair waist 3.sigh 4.perhaps 5.effect
One of the standards of beauty in urdu poetic tradition is a thin waistline – thin to the point of being like a hair. Thus moo-kamar is a description of the beloved. Gradually she has become more kind towards the poet/lover. He speculates that his sorrowful sighing is perhaps beginning to have an effect.
2
kiya hai muskura1 kar baat misl2-e phool gul-ruu3 ne
nehaal4-e ishq ne laaya samar5 aahista aahista
1.smile 2.like, similar to 3.rose-faced 4.sapling, shoot 5.fruit
The beloved, whose face is beautiful like the rose, has talked to him with a smile like a flower blooming. The young branch/shoot of love has borne fruit.
3
pila kar jaam1 apni chashm2 ki gardish3 se pae-dar-pae4
kiya saaqi5 ne mujh ko beKhabar6 aahista aahista
1.wine-cup, wine 2.eyes 3.going around, glancing 4.step by step, gradually 5.wine-server – used here to mean the beloved 6.intoxicated, senseless
The beloved has intoxicating eyes. She looks at him again and again. Each time it is like she is serving up a cup of wine. Thus, with every glance, little by little the poet/lover loses his senses … gets intoxicated, absorbed in her beauty unaware of aything else.
4
tufail1-e sozish2-e dil manzil3-e jaanaaN4 ko pahuNchaa huN
hui hai aah5 meri raahbar6 aahista aahista
1.by means of 2.fire, passion 3.destination 4.beloved 5.sigh 6.guide
The poet/lover has a fire of passion in his heart. It expresses itself as a fiery sigh. Seeing this, the beloved seems to have relented. Hence, the poet/lover considers his sigh and fire/passion in his heart to be the guide that has led/guided him to his destination i.e., the beloved.
5
gali meN uss pari-ruu1 ki kiya hai azm2 uRne ka
nikaala murGh3-e dil ne baal-o-par4 aahista aahista
1.fairy/angel faced 2.determination, resolve 3.bird 4.feathers and wings
The beloved is described as angel-faced. The heart of the lover is like a bird. It has resolved to fly in the lane of the beloved and has feathers and wings (gathered up enough courage) gradually.
6
mere haal1-e pareshaaN2 ki haqiiqat3 ko suna jaa kar
saba4 kooche5 meN gul-ruu6 ke guzar7 aahista aahista
1.condition 2.distressed, sorrowful 3.truth 4.breeze 5.street 6.rose-faced 7.pass through
The beloved is ‘gul-ruu’ has a beautiful face like the rose. O morning breeze, blow gently through the street of the beloved and tell her about my distressed condition.
7
siraaj1 us shooKh2 ne darpesh3 laaya madd-e-abruu4 ko
mera dil kyuN na ho zer-o-zabar5 aahista aahista
1.pen-name of the poet 2.playful, beloved 3.to present before, to show 4.arched eyebrow, annoyance 5.an expression meaning – topsy turvy, upside down, ruined
O siraaj, the beloved has presented before me a frown of annoyance. Why then, should my heart not be turned upside down.
